The last couple of weeks have brought a steady stream of new pledges to achieve net-zero carbon emissions within the next handful of decades. And yet a report released in September, by the International Energy Agency, estimated that roughly half of the technologies that will be needed to get to net zero globally by 2050 aren’t even commercially available yet. Read more →
Electric utilities are making efforts to reduce and end carbon emissions. But right now, they’re struggling with the overselling of alternatives when they don’t have enough essential backup in the form of storage. They also have the huge imperative of maintaining service — in lay terms, keeping the lights on. Read more →
CleanTechnica has developed a new report on the top solar power states per capita, by comparing the results from the first half of 2020 with the results from 2012. Read more →
Apple, Microsoft and Amazon are just a few of the many companies that have gone public with major climate commitments in the last month alone. Meanwhile, companies are recognizing that sustainability can build resilience, brand loyalty and their bottom line — all at the same time. But while making a commitment is good, it’s only the start of what can be a complex, challenging journey. Creating a plan to achieve that goal is where the hard work comes in. Read more →
NextEra Energy Inc.’s pursuit of Duke Energy Corp. could result in a merger of utility giants that could speed the renewable-energy transition throughout the South and Midwest. NextEra, the nation’s largest renewable-energy company, is seeking to expand its regulated utility business. Duke, meanwhile, recently proposed plans to invest heavily in renewables as it works to cut carbon emissions and reshape a power-generation portfolio largely reliant on fossil fuels. Read more →
Duke Energy’s options for reaching net-zero carbon by midcentury will look a lot different than those being pursued by utilities in the sun-soaked Western U.S., or the wind-rich Great Plains, or even those sharing the same Atlantic coastline. While most U.S. utilities have to plan for an electricity peak driven by summer air conditioning and cooling demand, Duke and other Southeastern utilities face an equally daunting winter peak driven by a reliance on electric heating and unpredictable cold snaps. Read more →
Companies are outlining their new decarbonization targets and clean investment strategies with hefty declarations such as Walmart Inc.’s plan to reach zero emissions across its global operations in 20 years without relying on carbon offsets. It’s worth watching these announcements, even if their impact is unclear. There have been other commitments recently, though, that are even more immediate, and possibly more compelling. Read more →
California plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars statewide by 2035. In an executive order, Governor Newsom directed California’s regulators to develop a plan that would require automakers to sell steadily more zero-emissions passenger vehicles in the state, such as battery-powered or hydrogen-powered cars and pickup trucks, until they make up 100 percent of new auto sales in just 15 years. Read more →
U.S. utilities can’t reach their ambitious decarbonization goals unless they reduce their planned reliance on natural gas, find ways to “baseload” solar and wind power with long-duration storage or substitute zero-carbon fuels, and radically expand energy efficiency, demand response and the power and flexibility of customer-owned distributed energy resources. Read more →
Since the signing of the Paris Agreement, hydrogen has emerged as the 'new kid on the block' as a green energy carrier. The EU has identified hydrogen as one of six key strategic areas where big investments and actions are needed. But the greenest form of hydrogen from renewable energy will take time to scale up. Read more →
Over the past three years, some of the country’s biggest utilities have been committing to a goal that few may have predicted they’d undertake on their own: weaning themselves off carbon-emitting generation by 2050. Driving this sea change in long-term planning is a combination of public pressure and energy economics. Read more →
By the start of the next decade Google wants to make sure all the electricity it uses for its data centers and offices will be truly 100% carbon free. Under its previous pledge the tech giant has been offsetting its consumption with direct renewable electricity purchases and the associated certificates. Read more →
